Report: Christina Norman Fired As Chief Of Oprah Winfrey’s OWN

The New York Times is reporting that Christina Norman, head of the four-month old Oprah Winfrey Network, has been dismissed. As Brian Stelter reports, “Peter Liguori, the chief operating officer for Discovery Communications, will take over the channel on an interim basis. Mr. Ligouri’s appointment is effective immediately and will likely last into the fall, if not longer.”

Stelter reports the decision to dismiss Norman was made over the last few weeks by the board that oversees OWN, citing “a person with direct knowledge of the situation.”

At the time of her hiring, Norman was described in a Forbes profile as the person tasked with ensuring Oprah’s risky next venture was a success:

Norman previously spent 17 years at MTV, climbing from a freelance production manager to president of the network. The hard work and spotless record took its toll, however, causing an exhausted Norman to initially take herself out of the running for the OWN job. But after a few months of rest, she realized it was an opportunity she couldn’t walk away from.

New: The Mediaite One-Sheet "Newsletter of Newsletters"
Your daily summary and analysis of what the many, many media newsletters are saying and reporting. Subscribe now!